The all new NEWSWORTHY thread

[Izzy HaveMercy]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... s-football

Guess he didn't see THAT one coming.

IZ.

[Izzy HaveMercy]

I was mildly disappointed with "Going Postal". Television adaptions of Pratchett fail by A) not doing any of the Witches stories, and B) continually NOT hiring Brian Blessed to play Mustrum Ridcully.

BLAH you're such a poo-pooer, tell me something good

"Hogfather" was pretty nice...

IZ.

[Silver_Owl]

You can't buy happiness

[Silver_Owl]

Why did they stop?

[weebleswobble]

Why did they stop?

I thought he was banging on about some extreme sport..

[DeWinter]

BLAH you're such a poo-pooer, tell me something good

You're not the first to say that! Curiously in "real life" I'm renowned for being rather easy-going and amiable. I suspect the amount of opinionated gibberish talked on the internet stated as fact just irritates me beyond endurance. Especially when a ten second 'net search can get you the basic facts..
Something good? I have honey and scones with my afternoon tea. That's rather good!
Oh, and it's "pooh-pooh". Otherwise you're just saying I have regular bowels. Which of course I do. Which is also good.

[markfiend]

Curiously in "real life" I'm renowned for being rather easy-going and amiable.

Funnily enough, me too. We manage to wind each other up at the drop of a hat though!

[DeWinter]

Curiously in "real life" I'm renowned for being rather easy-going and amiable.

Funnily enough, me too. We manage to wind each other up at the drop of a hat though!

True! We'd manage to row if one of us asked the other to pass the salt I begin to think..

"Typical authoritarian/left wing attitude expecting others salt to be given to him/keeping all the salt and not caring about the saltless.."

[markfiend]

Curiously in "real life" I'm renowned for being rather easy-going and amiable.

Funnily enough, me too. We manage to wind each other up at the drop of a hat though!

True! We'd manage to row if one of us asked the other to pass the salt I begin to think..

"Typical authoritarian/left wing attitude expecting others salt to be given to him/keeping all the salt and not caring about the saltless.."

[Meat Whiplash]

get over yourselves

[markfiend]

[DeWinter]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11726822

Students protest having to contribute to their future prosperity. Nearly everyone I know who went to University did it in the belief they'd get a better paying job afterwards. Why shouldn't they pay for it?

Am I the only one who remembers it being fairly normal to take a year out to earn a bit of money and then going to University?
(Or in my case take a year out and enjoy the money so much I never bothered going in the end..)

[markfiend]

Admittedly far too many school-leavers expect to go to university these days. It's unsustainable to have a third of them going to uni, or whatever proportion it is these days (not to mention devaluing the degree itself) but to expect someone to get £30K plus into debt just to get a degree (and keep themselves off the unemployment figures for three years) is ridiculous.

I don't remember many people taking a year out to earn money when I was 18. A year out to go travelling maybe, but even that was an exception. Almost all of my 6th-form colleagues went straight from school to uni. Almost all the people I went to Uni with had come straight from school. And they got a grant. (Remember those?)

As for earning while at university, I would contend that if you're doing a degree properly, you don't have time to do a job as well. YMMV.

[DeWinter]

Admittedly far too many school-leavers expect to go to university these days. It's unsustainable to have a third of them going to uni, or whatever proportion it is these days (not to mention devaluing the degree itself) but to expect someone to get £30K plus into debt just to get a degree (and keep themselves off the unemployment figures for three years) is ridiculous.

I don't remember many people taking a year out to earn money when I was 18. A year out to go travelling maybe, but even that was an exception. Almost all of my 6th-form colleagues went straight from school to uni. Almost all the people I went to Uni with had come straight from school. And they got a grant. (Remember those?)

As for earning while at university, I would contend that if you're doing a degree properly, you don't have time to do a job as well. YMMV.

It depends a lot on the degree taken though, the debts accrued. Engineering, maths, and I'm fairly sure medicine and the sciences are pretty heavily subsidised. Paying your way through college is pretty much par for the course in a lot of countries.
I think there's also been an expansion in the number of people taking basically pointless courses being offered at universities. Back in the day it was sociology, now it's media studies. I didn't go in the end because I didn't see much point in degrees in English Literature and Classic Art in the workplace (can you imagine me as a teacher??:P). I'm sure university is a wonderful experience, but not one worth doing for the sake of it.

I do indeed remember grants, mine was the last year they were available to! Was quite odd watching some of my sixth form colleagues cheering Labour's victory. I can only imagine they didn't read the manifesto!

[markfiend]

I do agree with you to a degree (pun not intended) about "pointless courses", although a lot of people do (or at least used to) pursue learning for its own sake. For instance Mrs Fiend recently completed an MA in Victorian Art and Literature for no other reason than she wanted to. (In her own time and paid for out of our pockets )

I wasn't aware of any subsidy for any subject; one of the arguments I recall being made against higher fees was that medical students (who after all do 5 years rather than the usual 3) already end up with debts in the range of £40 to £50K and higher debts would discourage poorer (financially) students from reading medicine.

[DeWinter]

I do agree with you to a degree (pun not intended) about "pointless courses", although a lot of people do (or at least used to) pursue learning for its own sake. For instance Mrs Fiend recently completed an MA in Victorian Art and Literature for no other reason than she wanted to. (In her own time and paid for out of our pockets )

I wasn't aware of any subsidy for any subject; one of the arguments I recall being made against higher fees was that medical students (who after all do 5 years rather than the usual 3) already end up with debts in the range of £40 to £50K and higher debts would discourage poorer (financially) students from reading medicine.

It's an admirable thing to do, I agree. But at a time when we're repeatedly told that we're nigh-on bankrupt it's a bit unreasonable to expect anyone else to pay for it.
I read on the BBC that at least engineering and mathematics recieved financial support. I admit I just assumed if that were the case medicine and the sciences would, too, considering how we're always told we don't have enough of them! Or probably we don't have enough willing to work for the wage the NHS/Trusts want to offer.

My final rant for the time being:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11728546

The words "living wage" being conspicuous by their absence here. I seriously do not blame someone being on benefits and refusing to come off if the alternative is £5.93 an hour slaving in one of Chief Spiv Phillip Green's tat retailers, or as-needed factory work. The government doesn't help here with tax-credits, which are little more than wage subsidies. Understandable if you're a small employer, but billion pound companies like Arcadia, Tesco's, Asda can afford to pay a decent wage. Withdraw tax credits from large corporations and they'll have to pay a decent wage because no bugger will be able to afford to work for them. It'll save the goverment millions.
The foreign woker drivel is also just that. Multiple-accomodation housing and shopping at Lidl to send a few quid back home to your developing nation is not something anyone should aspire to or have to compete with. I don't see unemployed French, Germans, Italians coming here to do work at the minimum wage.
(Friend of mine was railroaded by JCP into going for an interview at the new BHS store where we live. They even penny-pinch enough to offer under-21's less money. He lost out on the job by blurting out something rude when told the wages offered!)

[Quiff Boy]

and on a lighter note...

Chicago officer beats off dildo-wielding bill-skipper
Crab Shack mock cock cop attack shock

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/12/chicago_cop/

rigid female pleasure device

[Pista]

Gordon really is a knob

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...sacking-row.do

I do like what Dolly did with the concept though

http://thedollsays.wordpress.com/201...n-open-letter/

[markfiend]

http://tinyurl.com/2w3macs

Westboro Baptist Church (the "god hates fags" group) protested a military funeral in Oklahoma. They had their tyres slashed (which is not the funny part and I would in no way condone such an action).

But...

No-one in town would sell them new tyres.

[EvilBastard]

The surprise is that they think it will take that long...

[lazarus corporation]

Couple who met at university to marry

[weebleswobble]

Couple who met at university to marry

Shower of c**t

[DeWinter]

So I take it none of you will be buying a souvenir mug then? Have to wonder how the public will take a "Royal Wedding" in these straightened times.
I adore Prince William. We're about the same age, and I used to hear how handsome he was, and now he looks like a balding horse just like his father. I may not have his money or prestige, but I have a head full of flowing auburn locks. Just like Harry and his father..

[Pista]

Just like Harry and his father..

[Silver_Owl]

Here's looking at you Kid!